No Bol Bam festival celebration in Odisha this year due to Covid-19
Jul 04, 2020
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 4 : The Odisha government on Saturday said it will not allow Kaudia/Bol Bam devotees to collect water from any religious places or their consecration at Shiva Temples during the month of Shravan, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a surge of novel coronavirus cases.
In an order, the State government has asked devotees to not walk on any public road or pour water in any temple during the month of Shravan. "Kaudia/Bol Bam devotees are not allowed to carry water from any religious place or any other sources and also not allowed to walk on any public road and pour water in any temple during the Odia month of Shravan (July/August), 2020," the order said.
"In the Odia month of Shravan, people carry water from some religious places, walk barefoot for several miles and put water in some Shiva Temples on each Monday of this month and these people are generally referred to as, 'Bol Bom devotees' or 'Kaudia'," read the order.
"They start their journey on Saturday/Sunday/Monday by collecting water from one religious place and walk till Monday morning and pour the collected water on a Shiva Linga in some other Temple on Monday. This activity will not be permitted in view of orders by Central and State governments," it added.
The order issued by the State government's Office of Special Relief Commissioner will be strictly implemented in the interest of the public health
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Odisha is 8,106, including 2,372 active cases. While 5,705 cases are cured/discharged/migrated, the death toll stands at 29.
